


The Royal Consort of Garlemald

by Lunaarz



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Genderfluid Character, M/M, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Post-Shadowbringers AU, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunaarz/pseuds/Lunaarz
Summary: A mysterious person captures the heart of the Emperor and captures the seat of the nation, rumors fly.
Relationships: Azem | Warrior of Light / Zenos yae Galvus, Zenos yae Galvus/Original Character(s), Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	The Royal Consort of Garlemald

The consort sat upon the Emperor’s throne. Long white hair tumbled down their shoulders, icy and pale grey eyes shone with a cold indifferent boredom, their third eye sat like a round diamond between their brows. Fingers drummed against the cold metal. Their status was denoted by their delicate crown, adorned with hanging ornaments that would swing with the slightest provocation. They often dangled off kilter. The consort was fond of slouching to accentuate their displeasure.

They were an enigma – one day appearing without pomp and circumstance. How could there be? The succession was a messy affair, His Radiance, Zenos zos Galvus forsaking the throne, only to reclaim it on a whim just as the dust was settling, inciting fresh blood to spill on the mildewing remains of the first power struggle. While the Garleans were tearing themselves apart from the inside, the Eorzeans paid no mind to their affairs. They were distracted themselves over the death of their vaunted Warrior of Light –it was aether sickness according to the scions, soul ripped apart by an overabundance of light. If the circumstances weren’t so, those who knew both the warrior and Zenos might expect the then Prince, now Emperor to self-destruct in a fit of grief. It was known that he had an unhealthy obsession with the man. It went largely unnoticed, but he didn’t. It was believed that the consort had a hand in distracting the Emperor by giving him a new target to sink his claws into.

The people, the lords, the world held their breath, watching, waiting to see what the new Emperor would do. Many were already affixing “the mad” to the end of his title. Long had the world known what kind of monster was lurking in line for the throne. And though he would have been mad as a ruler, many thought his choice to all but abdicate in favor of a stranger was crazier still. Yet time marched on and people waited and watched with bated breath to see how things would unravel at the hands of a stranger.

No one knew who they were, no one knew where they came from, save that they were the only person in the world that could sate the Emperor’s lust for violence. Some thought him a shade of the prince, somehow able to extract a piece of his essence and supplant it into a body – thus why they drifted around like a cold, pale specter who acknowledged little, moved little, spoke less, except to Zenos. Their heights were similar, the length of their hair was similar, their demeanor was similar, and it is rumored that their skill in battle is well matched. It was plausible.

Others thought she was a true consort, a woman who had wormed her way to leading the world’s biggest empire, as women are wont to do. Her phantom beauty was unparalleled and often wore feminine clothing by Garlean standards – they favored long coats that accentuated their waist, and long eastern style skirts.

With no knowledge of their name, their gender, or their origins eventually, once the world woke up from its depressed stupor, rumors and conspiracies began to fly. The only two that knew the truth of the matter were the Emperor and his “consort” though many tried to uncover the truth at their own peril.

Cold, efficient this was Zenos. If caught by the monster of Garlemald, he would either kill you immediately if not in the mood for games or capture you alive to use on various experiments. Clever and fair, this was the consort. If caught by them, they would judge your actions and punish accordingly, weaponizing the offender’s words and deeds to justify the punishment they deserved. If they were going to be caught, people prayed it was by Zenos. The consort was far too unpredictable, and deaths by their hand were almost never swift.

Miraculously the empire flourished. No longer suffering under the yoke of an insecure emperor, the Garleans ended their expansionist policy and began to take care of the provinces long neglected in their reign of terror. It came as a surprise to the entire world expecting the war-crazed crown prince to continue his father’s campaign. Many wondered if the consort had anything to do with it.

“Spar with me, my friend,” Zenos sauntered into the throne room, dismissing the consort’s cabinet meeting with a glance.

“You came not a moment too soon,” he stood and smiled, floating down off of the dais, lightly placing the Emperor’s raised hand in his own. Zenos tugged him forward into a kiss, snaking his free hand into their ethereal white hair.

“I am intimately familiar with boredom my dear. When you accepted me, I couldn’t promise you a life without it-”

“-but you could promise me a life of my own.” He finished. “I remember.” He tapped the Emperor’s nose.

With a snap of his fingers the consort opened a void portal, “Shall we away? I’m thinking The First today. The new Royal Menagerie’s gardens are still a mess, but Il Mheg provides ample substitute.”

“As long as your blade meets mine, I care not, Azem.” Zenos stepped into the portal, his warrior following not far behind. 

**Author's Note:**

> In which the Zenos is an accomplice in the WoL's faked death, and the pair of faux-ascians whittle away their days on their own terms.


End file.
